Janesville School District selects new principal

JANESVILLE  School district officials have picked a new principal for Jackson Elementary.

Janesville School Superintendent Karen Schulte is recommending Kristen Moisson be hired as principal at the school, according to a news release from the district.

The school board still has to make Moisson’s hiring official. If approved at the board’s Aug. 10 meeting, Moisson would receive a salary of $87,994 for a 218.5-day contract beginning Aug. 12.

Moisson has worked for the district since 2003. She started as a special education teacher and became a program support teacher. She is currently the early learning and Title I coordinator.

Moisson was “instrumental in the establishment and success” of the district’s 4-year-old kindergarten program, according to the news release.

Moisson holds an undergraduate degree in education and received her master’s degree in educational leadership from Cardinal Stritch University in 2003.

Moisson was picked from a pool of 55 applicants.

The principal job at Jackson Elementary has been vacant since the school district fired John Walczak.

Walczak was placed on administrative leave in May, and says he was fired in a letter he received July 17, according to court documents.

Walczak has accused district officials of telling him they received complaints about him without telling him what they were about. He also said that the district didn’t allow him to properly respond to the complaints against him, according to court documents.

School district officials have refused to discuss why Walczak left the district.

The Gazette filed requests under the Wisconsin Open Records law for copies of school district documents related to its investigation of Walczak and his termination. Walczak filed an action in court seeking to block the release of the documents.

Judge Michael Fitzpatrick scheduled a hearing on the matter for Thursday, Aug. 26.